Toxic Behaviors in the Workplace - Essay Example

Introduction

The occurrence of toxic behaviors in the workplace is a common phenomenon requiring an intentional response to address. Every workplace faces the common problems with the uniqueness being the situations that cause them. They sometimes happen because the perpetrator intentionally induced them, or they accidentally happened. A case in time is a chain store where a manager goes on retirement, and a new one got hired. The former manager ensured the staff issues got addressed eminently, and a sober working relationship ensured. The new manager reviewed the existing plans and introduced new targets requiring additional working hours for the staff. He started addressing workers' mistakes on the spot in front of the customers, causing them to fear him. The new leadership saw workers disserting the former culture of reporting problems they saw and making recommendations. Some reportedly hid and secretly disposed of broken items to avoid taking the blame for the losses. Senior management had to intervene after the store reported losses consistently, and many staff members resigned without notice.

Communication problem

Communication is crucial in any organization in ensuring all necessary details for their success flow to the right recipients. It takes the significant blame for the downfall of most of the departments or institutions where it is not handled appropriately. The given case above evidently displays a case of breakdown of communication. Many organizations go about their daily activities following a strategic plan. Lack of proper communication between management and the staff causes a lack of flow of the details required to execute a strategic plan. As a result, the team engages with work as a routine without any direction or vision.

On the other hand, proper communication channels facilitate the flow of ground details from staff, allowing the management to make any necessary improvements. The case of the store also involves the distribution of partial information. Losses could have occurred due to the disappearance of some items that workers disposed of. eporting protocol or/and improving the staff-managers relationship. Where the staff has a good relationship with managers, they feel free to give accurate information about their work. Establishing a protocol like the introduction of information and suggestion boxes also allows workers to present information or grievances without fear. The case in study is one of lack of a working relationship. The new manager could have involved his staff when setting new goals to make them understand the reason for new targets. It would help me get information about the situations at the stores that would help him avoid making the losses.

Inconsistencies in following policies

Policies form the backbone upon which strategies are implemented. There are a number of reason why policies are not followed ranging from lack of knowledge to rebellion. The case of lack of knowledge emancipates from poor management. It is the duty of organization management to ensure staff has the basic skills and knowledge to operate. They should also be informed about other details set to enhance performance or yield results only special to specific cases. The solution to conflicts at this level calls for constant training and decision making involvement. Workshops equip workers with up to date information making their approach to work procedural and accurate as intended. The problem of rebellion often results where there exists conflict. Workers may feel mistreated or unappreciated at their station causing them to rebel. The staff in our case feels overworked and disrespected. Direct confrontation coupled with additional working hours without appreciation makes them rebel. They result to disposing goods without following the right channel of taking inventory of broken items. The solution to such rebellion lies in developing good working condition and proper treatment of the staff. The management should make them feel part of the organization and understand why it is important to follow set guidelines and procedures.

Narcissistic and toxic leadership

Management and leadership breakdown affects an organization all the way down to the junior staff members. The two major causes of toxicity in leadership that is obsessiveness with achieving targets and lack of touch with the staff. Every manager employs strategies and lays down mechanisms of achieving set targets and goals. However, a good leader should set SMART goals to avoid going overboard in attempt to achieve them. Obsession with achieving them can cause the managers to overpressure the workers which turn out to affect their morale negatively. The pressure can cause them to rebel or resign like in the given case above. In such a case, I would recommend to my manager that he engage us in setting strategies of achieving his target. Organization leaders may also lose touch with the staff. As a result, they lack to understand their personal or working situation and address them appropriately. I would ask the fellow staff members to write to the manager recommending a meeting to address their need to resign. The strategy would help the manager understand the pressure of workers and reconsider his pressuring strategy. To avoid conflict with such leadership, I would ensure I execute my duties correctly and document everything in details.

Political culture issues

The existence of political issues in an organization often results into disagreements or conflicts. The common resolve is often pointing of fingers instead of seeking for a solution. Some problems start as minor issues before escalating into bigger issues like aggression. One situation leads to another and hence resolution at early stages can prevent the advancement of the matter at hand. Research by Anjam et al, has also shown that disgruntlement in workplace results to poor productivity of workers. The case presented above also shows the consequence of conflict. The managers' channel of addressing workers in public demoralizes them. They feel disrespected and they lack personal drive to maximize individual productivity or even aggression. Proper resolution of conflict starts with understanding the problem. The cause of the conflict is first identified and why it happened. Proper ways of preventing the recurrence are also identified and the most suitable way of resolving it. The case above for example is as a result of mishandling of items. As manager, is should device best of handling goods like buying racks and holding devices. As a worker I should also recommend buying of such tools where necessary. The identification of the cause and possible solution to conflict is followed by execution of the findings. Such procedures requires to a good communication mechanism or documentation to allow all parties to be informed.

Physical and emotional health

Toxicity in workplace results into physical and emotional health to both leaders and workers. Poor performance for the leaders is cause of alarm in attempt to figure out methods of improving it. Workers failure to communicate the challenges hinders the process and the managers become depressed. The transfer of the pressure to perform to the workers also throws them into depression. Some leaders induce fear and this can traumatize workers and cause anxiety disorders. In some cases managers have escalated the pressure to physical assault causing physical injuries on them. In some worst cases, workers have been reported to retaliate and injure the managers or colleagues. A given case involved one of the worker shooting three others from a confrontation with supervisors. Injuries can also result from failure to follow policies in critical working areas like laboratories. Spillages of some corrosive reagents can be fatal. Some other chemicals have ability to cause fire igniting other chemicals burning people. All these sought of physical or emotional effects results from one form of toxicity or a combination of a number of them.

Conclusion

It is evident that toxic working environment is fatal for any form of organization. They have also proven to result from one issue or the other which are identifiable. I would therefore not shy away from working in an organization where any of those toxic behaviors are present. I would remain because it is possible to find a the solution and restore a healthy environment. Research and presence and possible resolution or prevention methods exist and therefore it is possible to deal with the issues. The problem at hand for example can be resolved by adjusting the targets and creating of a relationship between workers and the management.